Astronauts Will 3D Print Part Of A Human Knee In space
Bioprinted body parts could be important for future medical procedures, and scientists are doing their best to test this.
The project is being carried out in collaboration between NASA, Redwire, and Uniform University Health Sciences’ Center for Biotechnology. They are sending a new Redwire BioFabrication Facility 3D printer to the ISS to bioprint a human knee meniscus in space and study the result on Earth.
The main goal is to allow the treatment of meniscus injuries that US soldiers often face. In the future, Redwire hopes to 3D print entire human organs in space.
It uses a combination of adult human cells and proteins to create human tissues. The machine produces bio-ink using four print heads, similar to 3D plastic printing.
The printer is expected to travel to the ISS aboard a launch vehicle due to launch on November 6 from NASA’s Wallops Island spaceport.
